A Visitor
by Trivette Lover Heather
Summary: How does Henrys Father handle the happenings of the 4077th?
1. Who

A Visitor

By: Trivette Lover Heather

AN: For once, a Friend of Henry's stops by...

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CH 1.

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"Its about time Henry, we were beginning to think you deserted." Hawkeye yelled over the commotion.

"Okay people, settle down...settle down now...I have an announcement to make." He put his hands up to quiet his troops. Surprisingly they complied, possibly because they had been sitting for a half an hour waiting for him.

"Tonight's lecture will be cancelled...due to the fact that I....well...dismissed!"

With that the confused group started out the doors, right after their CO made a B-Line for his tent.

Hawkeye and Trapper exchanged a quick glance and followed after him.

Entering his tent, they found their CO, scrounging to clean up the place.

"Henry, you getting ready to end it all or is this just spring cleaning in the winter?" Hawkeye offered, touching hanging lingerie on the line.

"Don't touch that!" He grabbed it away and threw it into a pile.

"Henry, what's up? What's all the commotion about?" Trapper asked watching his Colonel rampage through his tent.

Hawkeye finally grabbed his arm to stop him. "Breathe Henry; you're gonna give yourself a heart attack."

Henry stopped and looked at the two men. "We're having a visitor in camp."

Hawkeye clapped his hands and jumped up and down. "Oh Oh! A visitor, a visitor!"

"Get it together Pierce, this is no joke."

"Who is it Henry? MacArthur?" Trapper commented.

"No, nobody you guys would know."

"No body we would know huh? Well can we get to know 'em?" Hawkeye replied breathing a little hard from his previous jumping fit.

"PIERCE! This is not a joke...now why don't you two go do something useful?! And leave me be!"

"Useful? Henry this is a war, what usefulness' could we possibly be doing?"

"Dam nit Pierce, Macintyre, must you always know what is going on? Can't you just ever mind your own business?"

"Easy Henry, we just wanted to check and see what was up. You were acting odder than usual." Trapper replied, putting his hands up as if in innocence.

Henry finally threw the last piece of laundry into the pile and looked up at the doctors.

"OUT!" He pointed to the door.

"We're out, we're out." Hawkeye said in defense grabbing Trapper on the way out.

"Geez, whoever this visitor is, sure has Henry in knots." Trapper offered, straightening his jacket from the recent pulling.

"Who better to ask than the one who knows all?" Hawkeye replied.

Trapper thought. "God?"

"A little shorter." Hawkeye smiled.

"Radar."

The two then headed to their CO's office. 


	2. A tall man

A Visitor

By: TLH

CH. 2

As soon as Trapper and Hawkeye walked into the office, Radar starting talking.

"I dont know who it is sirs. So please don't ask."

The two shrugged. "You really dont know Radar."

"No. Sorry sirs. I mean it. He wont tell me."

"Alright, well if he tells you anything..." Hawkeye began.

"I'll let you know sirs."

A few more days passed and it really started to get out of hand, when Henry started ordering Radar to take showers.

"Alright Henry, this has gone far enough...!"

"Oh pipe down Pierce, I haven't asked you to do anything..."

"Right, but I miss the old you let me know where he is so I can go get him."

"Pierce, he could be here anytime."

"Sir! He's two minutes out."

Pierce straightens up and ties his robe a little tighter. Henry starts fidgeting, taking off his hat then putting it back on again.

"Pierce, will you please go get into uniform?"

"Alright Henry, that's pushing it." He replied.

Henry sighed, grabbing a stapler and making as if he was going to throw it at Hawkeye, which caused him to scurry out quickly.

"Radar, come get me if Henry has a coronary."

"Uh coro- what sir?"

"Never mind." He headed outside to be greeted by a Jeep stopping at a halt.

A tall man stepped off the jeep.

"Welcome to the 4077th, sir. I can take your bags." Radar hurried to greet him.

"Never mind the bags my boy, where's Henry Blake?"

"Right in here sir."

Hawkeye watched the whole exchange and had to decide whether to retreat for a drink or follow the melodrama. After all, Henry had been driving everyone nuts over this guy, he had to be special.

Hawkeye walked in as the two were embracing.

"Radar who is that?" He asked the Corporal, who was grinning ear to ear.

"It's his Father Sir."

END CH. 2

AN: Sorry for the short chapter once again. I must figure what I'm going to do from here. And remember, kids, this is fiction, so work with me.:) Please review, it helps me, help you. :)


	3. SOP

A Visitor

Ch. 4

AN: Nope, I'm not doing the whole Margaret Dad thing, cuz I haven't seen the episode when that happened. Thanks.

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"Father?" Hawkeye replied and looked up at the two taller men, now releasing from their embrace.

"Pierce, this is my Father, William." Henry offered.

The two shook hands. "Pleasure...what bring you down the war torn path, so to speak?" Hawkeye asked, getting a slight glare from Henry.

"I missed my son, and being in retirement, I thought what a better way to spend my time, my wife was worried sick and well, I fought in World War II, you know, thought I'd come back for a refresher course!" He chuckled a bit.

Hawkeye nodded. "Uh huh...well welcome."

"Thank you."

"Uh Radar..." Henry began.

"I'll get him all set up in the VIP tent sir." Radar replied.

"You must be the kid from the letters who always says what my boy is saying before he says it."

Radar started to blush. "Uh, yes sir, I am." 

"Radar is it?"

"Yes sir."

"Very polite young man you are...a fine soldier." He patted Radar on the shoulder.

"Well, uh, I got a great commanding officer sir."

A silent moment passed as Henry and Radar exchanged glances. Hawkeye noticing that Henry was really touched.

"No doubt about that." William replied with a grin.

Radar then scurried out to get his bags and do as he was told.

"Well it was nice meeting you sir, hope you enjoy your stay, bars open from sun up to sun down and all the time in between." Hawkeye shook his hand once more and started out the door.

He stopped for a moment to watch the two older men converse. Henry's dad took a quick seat while Henry poured them a glass of scotch.

Hawkeye shrugged.

"So son..."

"So dad..."

A couple awkward moments passed.

"I've missed you." The two said at the same time. Chuckling a bit.

"Are things always this slow around here?"

Henry started to chuckle again. "Nope, just a lull in the fighting...but when this place gets rocking, it seems there's no end in sight."

"Rough?"

"Very....but we got a great bunch of people working here...best I've ever seen."

"Must be proud of them."

"I am...very much so. Probably don't tell them enough...but I think they know. Its hard work and..."

Just then the Father entered.

"Oh...Forgive me Colonel...I was just..."

"It's quite alright...Father Mulcahy...This is my dad, William."

The Father was taken back. "Well, I suppose you're the special guest, we've been waiting for...welcome to the 4077th. We are honored to have you with us." He took his hand and shook it.

"Thank you Father. Glad to be here."

The Father smiled. "Uh huh...well Colonel if you don't mind me interrupting, there is a soldier in post op who is asking for the surgeon who operated on him...I could tell him you can see him later, if you'd like."

"That would be fine Father."

"Nonsense my boy, one of the soldiers needs you, you go, don't let me get in the way of your work."

Henry nodded. "Alright then...Father lead the way."

"Yes Colonel."

The three headed through the doors into post op, where the Father directed Henry to the soldier. His name was Bradley, he had lost both of his legs and Henry had the sense he wasn't calling him over to thank him for saving his life. He had been through more than one of these scenes, nothing new under the sun.

"Bradley...this is the surgeon." The Priest offered, calmly taking a seat next to him.

Henrys Father stood a few steps away, listening to the interaction.

"What can I do for you son?" Henry lifted the chart, quickly scanning it and putting it back.

"Apparently nothing."

Henry sighed. He was used to this. He had to let the soldier get it off his chest, he had to take the abuse for the soldiers sake.

"I just wanted to put a face with the man who cut off my life...who cut off any future I could ever have! I wanted to ask you to just finish the job...you seem to be handy enough with a saw..."

Father Mulcahy interjected. "Bradley, my boy, this isn't...

"It's alright Father, go on soldier."

"Take a good look at me Doc, remember my face, you're looking at a dead man, thanks to you."

Henry fought back the urge to start naming all the actual soldiers who were killed and simply nodded.

"You about done soldier?" Henry asked, tipping his hat back a bit.

"Why? Anxious to get back to cutting off more legs? Get some kind of sick pleasure out of it don't you?!"

"Alright that's enough my son." Father Mulcahy interrupted. "This man, did all he could, you are wrong to say he simply did not try...you are wrong Bradley."

"It's alright Father, really. Listen kid, I'm sorry, so take that for what it's worth. I'm sorry..." He nodded once more and started back towards his office, where that glass of scotch was beckoning him.

Father Mulcahy, started to speak and calm the soldier, while Henrys Father, stood by aimlessly. His son was a grown man, and still backing down like when he was a child.

He started after his son.

"What was that all about?"

Henry turned around from the liquor cabinet. "SOP."

"You're joking."

"Look at my face; do I look like I'm joking?"

"You're still the same you know that?!" He leaned his hands on his son's desk.

"Excuse me?" Henry peered into his dads eyes.

"Never sticking up for yourself, always letting people walk all over you, like you're a nobody."

Henry took a deep breath. "Look if I needed to hear a lecture from you, I could've called, you didn't have to come all the way to Korea to scold me! I'm a grown man, I can fend for myself."

"So I saw." He motioned in the direction of post op.

"That? Dad, what in da' hell did you want me to say? What? Did you want me to scream at him? Tell him to WAKE UP! And Suck it up! You don't know a damn thing about this place, how **_dare_** you tell me anything?"

"I knew I shouldn't have come." With that he left, leaving Henry catching his breath.

Radar had heard the exchange and made his way in.

"Anything I can do sir?"

"**_No_**!" He shot back.

Radar jumped. "Right, sorry sir, I'll go now sir."

Henry sighed. "Radar- I- I'm sorry. I...I just- forgive me."

"It's alright sir."

Henry took a quick gulp of the scotch in his hand. It was going to be a long three days.

-- END CH. 4

Please review, it helps me, help you,

Take Care - TLH †


	4. Goodbye

A Visitor CH. 5 – FINAL

By: TLH

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"Did you hear?" Hawkeye said entering the SWAMP.

"We're surrendering…yeah, that's old news." Trapper said handing his bunkmate a martini.

"Henry's dad is here from the States."

"Oh? Did you meet him?"

"Yeah just did."

"So that's what had Henry all wound up?"

"Yeah, and I don't think him getting here is gonna un-wind him."

"What makes you say that?"

"I have a knack with Father Son relationships. I have one ya know."

Trapper smiled. "Uh huh…ten bucks says they get a long fine."

Hawkeye laughed. "You're on."

--

Henry paces outside of his office towards the VIP tent.

"Why don't you just save yourself the trouble and leave now!" He yelled into the tent and stormed off.

Hawkeye held his hand out.

"How did you…?"

"Told you I had a knack."

"A knack? What the heck is a knack anyway? No one says Knack…here." He reached into his pocket, handing him the ten dollars.

--

The next morning at breakfast, was as if nothing happened. Hawkeye wasn't surprised.

"Ya see Trap; this is what we call the typical male pride. Neither will let each other know they are upset, thus pretending they are not mad at all. However, this will ultimately lead to a huge blow up over something small and irrelevant, but leading back to what they were originally mad at each other about in the first place." He nodded. "Did you get all that down?"

Radar then entered quickly.

"This cant be good." Hawkeye noticed.

"Sir, we got a load of wounded coming in, marines just tried to take hill 403."

"Again? Damn that hill. Alright let's move…Pierce, Macintyre, suit up." He stormed out of the mess tent, leaving his Father picking at his food.

Hawkeye made his way over. "He's always like this when we have company."

"Pierce isn't it?"

"Yes sir. I'm afraid your son won't be much of a host while we have wounded."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure."

"I'm sorry sir, but did you just scoff?"

"If I did?"

"I'll have you know, that this unit wouldn't run the way it does without your son, who to you may be less than adequate, but to us, is nothing of the kind. So before you start scoffing, I suggest you come over to the OR in about five minutes and see what it is we do here."

Before he could reply, the man had left. And he was left again to pick at his food.

Henrys Father had made his way to the OR and stood outside for hours, watching his son work. He saw him save many. But it was the one his son lost that stuck in his mind. He saw his son step out for a moment and made his way over to him.

"Henry." He sat beside him.

"Hey dad, look I'm sorry, we weren't expecting any wounded for…"

"It's alright. It's war, I remember…look son…"

"Look dad..."

The two smiled.

"I saw you lose that boy in there, you handled it so well, and you handle it all so well, how?"

"I had a good teacher growing up…no matter what, you always handled it…so that's what I try to do over here…I'm far from perfect…heck I drink…screw up paperwork…cant give an order if it was handed right to me…but I handle it…cuz I have to."

"I'm sorry about yesterday."

"I'm sorry too, heck it'd been a while since we had a fight like that, and I actually kind of missed it."

"Can't wait till you get back home so we can have them like we used to."

The two laughed. "Looking forward to it… but until then, I gotta get back…"

"Go ahead; I'll be in my tent when you're through."

He stood up and pushed the door open into the OR.

"Hey dad."

"Yes?"

"Thanks for teaching me."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

---

The rest of the time they had, they did a little golfing and spent a lot of time together, before it was time for him to go. When he left, Henry embraced his Father like a child on his first day of school, never wanting to let go.

"And this is where, they exchange nods instead of I love you's." Hawkeye said to Trapper who had started to doze off. Hawkeye smiled, putting the ten bucks back on his friend's dresser. "Even experts are wrong sometimes."

He then turned back to watch the goodbye.

"I'll see you when you get home Son." They embraced once again.

"Yup, I'll see ya."

They released the embrace.

--

One Week Later

"I've got a message, Lt. Col. Henry Blake's plane, was shot down…over the Sea of Japan, it spun in, they were no survivors."

--

END

AN: Please review, it helps me, help you.

Take care – TLH †


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